I would happily ask him questions if he was present, as I would with an esteemed religious scholar when I seek religious advice. When I need divine guidance, I beseech Allah and only Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى). Asking Allah to help me for the sake of Ahlul Bayt ((عليه السلام).) is IMMENSELY different than asking members of Ahlul Bayt for help. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) is the best of Providers, period.
don’t conflate two simple but fundamentally different concepts. Stop giving ammunition to the Salafist terrorists. Monotheism and the recognition of Allah's exclusive, absolute power is fundamental to our faith and must be incessantly emphasized.

Israel is not the responsibility of the Shias to deal with. They got their [rears] kicked in Lebanon and then left. Beyond that, we are a religious minority in the Middle East and have our own problems to attend to.

I brought this up several years ago, but I feel like it is relevant more than ever nowadays. Why do Shia Muslims have to be at the forefront in the fight against Israel? Shiites are being oppressed all over the Middle East and around the world, and yet somehow they feel compelled to take up the mantle against Israel. Yes, the Israeli regime is fascist and barbaric, but so are Ahel Saud and the rest of the Arab puppet dictatorships. Why do Shiites have to endure sanctions, isolation, and pariah status in fighting for a cause that's not our really ours?

This is ridiculous and blatant shirk, and I say this as a Shia Muslim. Help and guidance should be asked ONLY from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى). Not to digress from the topic too much folks, but we really need to stay focused and continuously emphasize that Islam is above all a monotheistic religion.
With regards to the topic creator, almost all Muslims encounter doubt of faith at some point or another. In your case, the lack of faith appears severe. All I can advise is that you continuously reflect upon the order of the universe - its origins, how it came into being, the sustenance of all forms of life, etc. Not necessarily from a religious point of view, but from a scientific and philosophical point of view. I wish I had better advice, but I can say that as a man of science, studying the complexities of the human body affirmed my belief in a divine creator and helped to assuage doubts in faith.
You are in a very difficult position, without a doubt, and may Allah grant you guidance and peace of heart and mind.

Asalamulaikum,
I enjoy playing video games (i.e. PS4) in moderation to pass time, but there's something that continues to bother me. In some of the games I own, there are certain elements of shirk that tend to compromise my enjoyment of the experience ("invincibility" mode, magic elements, "perfect" characters, etc..). I am a practicing Muslim and these things do not influence my beliefs whatsoever. Is playing or owning these kinds of games haram, or is this simply a form of waswaas?
Jazak Allah Khair

I personally feel that the Palestinian cause is not the responsibility of the Lebanese to solve. The Lebanese Shiite have suffered immensely from the so-called Palestinian cause and have nothing to show for it.
Enough is enough.

But why is it the Shiites' responsibilities to fight the Israeli regime? Why should the Shiites of South Lebanon, for example, have to keep fighting Israel once they're no longer occupying the land? Why don't Shiites focus first and foremost on fighting immediate threats, like Daesh and Nusra?
And just anecdotally speaking, while many Southern Lebanese sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians, most of them absolutely despise Hamas and the PLO (largely due to their invasion of southern Lebanon during the civil war). Deterring Israeli aggression is one thing; fighting Israel when they no longer pose an immediate threat is another.

Just a random thought, but why do Shia Muslims have to be at the forefront in the fight against Israel? Shiites are being oppressed in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, etc., yet somehow they feel compelled to take up the mantle against Israel. Yes, the Israeli regime is fascist and barbaric, but so are Ahel Saud and the rest of the Arab puppet dictatorships. Why do Shiites have to endure sanctions, isolation, and pariah status in fighting for a cause that's not our really ours?

Yes, that's what I meant. I ask this because even trying to get vegetarian food from a restaurant with non-zabiha meat presents an issue because the restaurant staff is clearly handling the meat when making sandwiches for other customers.

Assalamualykum
From Sayyed Fadlallah's website [regarding non-zabiha meat]:
http://english.bayynat.org/Fatawa/s1ch5.htm
2 Questions:
1) What if we are not in a position to know whether an animal has been killed according to the Islamic code of practice? In the West, the animal has most likely not been slaughtered according to Islamic law, but how can we know for certain? I did not see the animal slaughtering with my own eyes.
2) Sometimes in the West, some animals are stunned, then slaughtered, and drained of their blood. Now, this would still be harram to eat, but theoretically, wouldn't the meat itself be pak, considering there is no blood being retained?
Thank you.

Asalamalykum,
I was recently having dinner with a friend, who was consuming a sandwich containing a pork product. During eating, he briefly handled his phone. Upon finishing, he washed his hands with soap and water.
I'm concerned about the grease on his phone, as he later touched some of my personal items i.e. backpack after touching his phone.. After how long can one assume the grease on the phone dried, and therefore can no longer transfer najasat?
Thank you.